of us ; " our goodness extendeth not to hima ;" " it is no profit to him that we are righteous13:" he would have been equally happy and glorious, though no creature had ever been formed; and he would remain so, if every creature in the universe were annihilated. How wonderful, then, was it, that he should condescend to look on us ; yea, that he should take such an interest in our affairs, as to supply, at a most incalculable price, our pressing necessities ! Even in this first view of his love we are lost with wonder.]
But our admiration will be greatly increased, if we reflect upon the gift —
[It was his Son, " his only-begotten Son," whom he vouchsafed to give. It was not a creature ; no, not the first of all created beings, but his co-equal, co-eternal Sonc; who from eternity had been in his bosom d, and " daily his delight6." A less gift than that would not have sufficed for our relief: and a greater, God himself was not able to bestow. In comparison of this, ten thousand angels would have been as nothing ; yea, all the hosts of heaven would not have been more than a grain of sand is in comparison of the universe. Yet God, seeing our wants, " sent his own Son to be a propitiation for our sinsf." What manner of love was this ! How " incomprehensible are its breadth and length, and depth and height8!"
Additional lustre will be reflected on this mystery, if we consider the manner in which he bestoxved this
gift—
[He waited not to be solicited : indeed no creature could have asked for such a favour: the thought could not have entered into the mind of any created intelligence ; nor, if it had occurred, could he have presumed to utter it. But God needed no suggestion from his creatures : his love prevented their requests u; it even provided for their wants before those wants existed, yea, before the creatures themselves had any being. He himself is love'; and the exercise of mercy is his delight k. He neither had, nor could have, any inducement from without : all his motives were found within his own bosom : the displaying of his own unbounded love was a sufficient reason for his utmost exertions : he shewed mercy for mercy sake ; and " gave," because it was the joy of his soul to give.]
a Ps. xvi. 2. b Job xxii. 2, 3. c Mic. v. 2.
d John i. 13. e Prov. viii. 22—30. f 1 John iv. 9, 10.
8 1 John iv. 9, 10. with Eph. hi. 18, 19.
11 God, instead of following our first parents with denunciations of wrath, gave, unsolicited, that promise, which was the foundation of hope to them and all their posterity. Gen. iii. 15.
1 1 John iv. 16. k Mic. vii. 18.